Crumbling emotions
by Littledragonrune
Summary: How can something so good crumble in a few seconds? Six years after the breaking of the curse and Regina thought she had it all. The happy ending she had always wanted, the one they had fought hard to have. But one phone call was enough to threaten it all, and while the doors of the hospital appeared in her line of sight, she didn't know what was going to happen.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello there!_

 _I'm new in this hereabouts, so nice to meet you all!_

 _I just wanted to say or write a few things, before you read this story. I have only written a few stories until now, and this is my first Swanqueen. I've read quite a few amazing stories, and this idea popped into my head._

 _I just wanted to ask you to give this story a small opportunity, just in advance, English is not my maternal language, and I wrote it as a personal challenge._

 _A little spoiler, it's a linear story with one-shots in the middle to understand how the personages had come to the point in their lives I draft. It might also have other personages points of view. It's mostly a fluff and carefree story, with small moments of seriousness and fear. And it's timed six years after Snow White and Emma's return from the Enchanted Forest._

 _I own nothing, just what happens in the story._

 _I'm already waiting for your opinions. Thanks ;D!_

* * *

 _ER-1_

Despite not being able to wear high heels anymore, every step she made echoed in the hallways. She would like to run to the hospital reception but it wasn't only an inappropriate behavior, it was also an impossible mission to her right now.

"Where is she?" Her words might have been expressed as a question, but the nurse sitting in front of her didn't need to see her usual perfect tailored clothes, and her mayoral standing to know when her majesty wanted something. The problem was that she had only seen the woman, she was asking after for a second, and it had been when she crossed the reception towards the ER unconscious on a stretcher, surrounded by the medical staff.

"Ma'am." It might have passed six years after the Savior broke the curse, and despite seeing the once Evil Queen wearing an oversized sweater filled with her pregnant belly with a pair of black leggings and black sneakers and her hair tied back in a messy bun, she was still afraid of her.

"Don't." Regina's fist landed on the table. "Just tell me where I have to go." Her voice might be similar to the one she had when she was angry, but this time it was desperation and fear behind her harsh words.

"Mom." Henry's voice grounded her. He was behind her clasping his hands with two little girls, of almost five and two. Her boy had grown so much during these last six years. She now had to look up to talk to him and stand on tiptoes if she wanted to kiss his cheek. "Let her talk please." She could see he wanted to physical comfort her, but his hands weren't free right now.

"Ma'am." The younger woman started again, trying to gather the confidence she didn't have. "I need a few minutes to make some calls. Is that ok?" She asked as she put the phone on her ear.

"Ok." Regina murmured looking at her like she wanted to murder her for not knowing right away the information she wanted.

"Mom," Henry called her again. "It's going to be ok."

"You don't know." He didn't deserve this, he was afraid too, and it didn't do any good to herself, or to the girls.

"Mom, please." His voice might have been getting rougher over time, but he still was their little boy. And she could see how scared he was. "I need you to breathe and to stay calm. Remember your blood pressure." This pregnancy had come with a few scares, they went by the name of high pressure, and twins.

"Yeah, ok. I'm sorry." She said to Henry and looked at her little girls. But before she could say anything to them, she was interrupted.

"Mayor Mills." The receptionist called her as she hanged up the phone. "Sheriff Swan is in surgery right now." There wasn't any way to ease the news.

"Oh Gods," Regina murmured as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"You can go to the third floor and stay in the surgery waiting room. I'm sorry, but I don't have more information."

"Thank you," Henry interceded. "Let's go, mom." He started to walk, but after a few steps, he saw his mother wasn't following him. She stood frozen beside the reception. "Jo-jo grab mommy's hand." He said to the taller of the two girls, freeing one of his hands so he could gently coach his mother to move.

After the nurse's words, they silently walked towards the lift and took the ride to the third floor where they would wait for any news.

...

There was no one in that waiting room, only two nurses who didn't have any new information, making Regina want to scream with hopelessness. It wasn't Emma's turn to work today. Killian had called her in the morning from the station because he hadn't been feeling well. And now hours later she had been called from the hospital because her wife had had a car accident during the afternoon patrol. And her worst nightmares were haunting her during their waiting.

"Henry, can you watch the girls, I need to walk for a little bit," Regina asked her son caressing her belly. Apparently, the twins could feel her distress, and they were moving a lot giving her some hard kicks.

They had been a complete surprise. After having Joanna and a few years later Teresa, they had decided to settle with three kids, but a few weeks after a frisky date night where the alcohol had done her job, she was pregnant again.

She could still perfectly remember when she found she was pregnant with Joanna. Once the surprise had gone down a tinny bit, they had found that apparently, their powerful magic combined plus being each other true love and their unconscious desire to make a baby was the perfect combination. A few years later they decided to have another, and Teresa came to their lives, but the last two were quite a shock like Joanna had been.

But despite the amount of joy and love it brought her thinking about her kits, all those happy memories were bittersweet tonight.

"Mom." Henry's voice caught her attention. She doesn't how much time she has been walking or how she has returned to the waiting room. "I called aunt Zelena." It still surprised sometimes when the kids called her sister aunt. "She's coming to take the girls, and she'll bring us some clothes for the night."

"You are going with her too."

"No, I'm staying." With his deeper voice, she might have had some possibilities to change his birthmother decision, but he knew Regina was the tough one.

"Henry." She didn't want to argue tonight.

"Mom, you need someone with you," Henry explains. "And if I go I won't sleep. I prefer to stay here."

"I would feel better if you were with the girls," Regina said, knowing Henry was winning.

"They love staying at aunt Zelena's and Robin's. They'll be fine." Henry said. "Please."

"Ok," Regina murmured, too tired to keep their conversation.

"Good," Henry said looking how his mother sat on one of the chairs. If it wasn't because the two girls were sleeping, they would already have flushed their bodies on her mother's sides. "Thank you."

They sat without saying anything as the seconds passed like it were hours, wanting to have new information, and scared of what could happen.

"I'm sorry." Regina murmured, still looking at nowhere.

"Mom?"

"I'm sorry for being like this. I should be the stronger one."

"Mom," Henry's heart hurt for her mother. "I'm seventeen now. I can't deal with more responsibilities." He said trying to make his mother smile a little. "Mom, it's ok. It's okay to need someone." He said when he saw his mother's furrowed brow.

"But you are my boy. I'm supposed to be the responsible one."

"I'll always be your boy mom." He had never been one of these teenagers who are ashamed of their parents. "But I'm older now. And it's ok if you need me now, I'm pretty sure I'll need you later." He said smirking. He wanted to keep reassuring his mother, but someone came.

"Madam Mayor." A tall man with dark blue scrubs and a mask hanging to his neck came to the waiting room. "I'm the Sheriff surgeon." He informed them.

"How is she?" Regina asked as she stood up with Henry beside her.

"She's being moved to the ICU as we speak. Apparently, something hit her pretty hard in the abdomen, and she had an hemoabdomen without any point of entry. During surgery, we saw it came from the liver. We had to remove a little part from one of the lobes." He explained them, with a calm voice. "The surgery went well, we didn't find any problem besides the bleeding. And the MRI showed no signs of brain-bleeding due to the concussion she had from the accident."

"So she's going to be ok?" Henry asked, grabbing his mother's hand.

"If all keeps going like this, yes."

"Thank God!" Regina said with tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much." She said to the man.

"It's my job." He said with a smile, grateful to bring good news. "In a few minutes, a nurse will accompany you to her room. And I'll see you when I'll go check her." He said before leaving, while Henry hugged her mother trying to keep his tears controlled.

"I told you she's going to be fine." He said. "She's a tough one."

"Don't I know," Regina said.

"You go with Ma, and I'll wait with the girls here. Ok?" He said seeing the nurse waiting for them. "I'll come inside as soon as I can."

"You are a good son," Regina said caressing his son's cheek.

"Remember it the next time you are mad at me." He said making Regina smile. "Now go to her."

"Ok," Regina said, kissing his cheek before she left.

But neither of them knew their new recovered peace would be broken again because as he went to check on the sleeping girls, the voice of someone who Henry had thought he would never see or hear again called his name.

"Henry." A man's voice made him look at the hallway beside the waiting room, leaving him speechless. Prince Charming and Snow White, or David and Mary Margaret stood in front of him with a baby in her arms.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello there!_

 _I know it's a short one, but here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. And I'm dreading to read your opinions._

* * *

 _ER-2_

"Henry," He called him again. Neither of them moving closer, as he stood speechless looking at them. Henry didn't know what to say or what to do. After what had happened six years ago he didn't know how to behave in front of them.

"How's Emma?" MM asked concerned.

"I'm... she's..." Henry still didn't know what to say.

"We heard someone say she had been in an accident, and we asked at the reception, they told us to come here." Apparently, MM still didn't do well with awkward silence moments.

"Where... When, How did you come back?" Henry asked. Remembering the spell his mothers had set over Storybrooke with Mr. Gold. They had wanted to protect their home, and with the spell, they had put the town under a bubble that prevented people coming from other realms, and from other cities from this world. They had also created a charm for every citizen so if someone wanted to leave for a vacation or because they wanted to live in another place they would always find their way home.

"That's a long story," David said.

"One I know it will be amazing," Zelena said having heard the last part of the conversation. Her smile was tense, and her eyes worriedly looked at Henry.

"Who are you?" MM asked.

"His aunt," Zelena answered with a hard voice, she didn't want to answer more questions, and not caring about the reaction of the other two adults in the room.

"She's going to be fine," Henry said to his aunt, answering her silent question about Emma's wellbeing.

"Thank God," MM said rocking the sleeping baby in her arms.

"Yeah," Henry said troubled by the tense ambient in the room.

"When can we see her?" MM asked, and Henry didn't know if she felt the tension in the room.

"Ah..." Henry didn't know what to say.

"Later." Zelena quickly intervened as she put the two bags she had been holding on the floor beside the chairs Henry and the girls had been occupying. "How are they?"

"Fine. A little scared, but fine." He said.

"I have their things in my car," Zelena said, looking at Henry.

When MM betrayed her trust years ago, she cursed an entire realm. What would she do now? At least she couldn't use her magic due to the pregnancy, but she still could be dangerous with her words.

"Henry." Zelena's soft voice interrupted his thoughts, and a gentle hand on his shoulder made him look at her. "Breathe." She told him. "It's going to be okay, do you hear me?" He nodded.

"But m.."

"Shhhh." She shushed him, not wanting him to mention his adoptive mother yet. "We'll deal with it, as a family." She reassured him. "As we always do."

"Ok." He murmured, taking a quick glimpse of the people who were supposed to be his grandparents. They hadn't said anything more as they watched their interaction carefully.

"Care to give me some help with the girls?" Zelena asked him, trying to evade his concerns for a little while.

"Yes."

"And you two..." Zelena pointed to David and MM. "Need to leave." She ordered them.

"You can order us," MM said with outrage in her voice.

"She can't, but I can." Regina's voice surprised everyone in the room. After she had assured herself that she was safe and breathing, she had come back to the waiting room to see if she intercepted her sister.

"Regina," MM said looking with her mouth open.

"Sis," Zelena acknowledged her sister before grabbing Henry by his arm. "Grab Jo-jo, and we'll go to the car."

"No, I'm staying." He said not wanting to leave his mother alone.

"Henry." Zelena tried to coax him.

"Henry please," Regina said as she came to them. "I'll be fine. I don't want them to wake up in the middle of this."

"Ok, mom." He said before he helped his aunt, and left with Zelena, each of them carrying one of the girls.

It only took MM a few seconds to start talking, once Zelena and Henry had left with the girls.

"What's the meaning of all this?" MM asked.

"That's preposterous," Regina said not believing what she had heard. "You two came here after six years, and start ordering explanations. I can't believe it." She said. "Well, coming from you two I can expect anything," Regina said caressing her belly, trying to calm one of the twins, and feeling MM eyes on her.

"How is Emma?" David asked, wanting to calm the ambient.

"Sleeping. She still has a few hours before the medication goes down." Regina informed them.

"What happened?" He asked.

"She had an accident," Regina said looking at them suspiciously. "And now, seeing you two here, I wonder if you two were involved?" She asked seeing their eyes go wild.

"How could you...?" MM said angrily.

"We put a spell to protect the town, and it's supposed to prevent portal openings, but you are here. I still have to talk with Gold, but..." Regina said.

"We didn't do anything," MM argued.

"Let me doubt it dear," Regina said letting her Evil Queen voice and smile free.

"I don't care what you think. We want to see Emma." She ordered.

"And as I said before, you can't," Regina said, trying not to enjoy the rage she put in their faces.

"You can't do this," David said.

"Yes, I can," Regina said. "Until Emma wakes up I have the last say in who enters her room and who don't."

"And why is that?" David asked warily.

"Oh! That's easy." Regina said smirking, as she put her hand on their view, letting them see her ring. "Because I'm her wife."


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello there!_

 _Here is the next one. I hope you like it._

 _Thank you all for your support, I'm overjoyed._

* * *

 _Home._

Regina was sitting on her couch, nursing a glass of wine, and one of her old magic books resting neglected in her legs, while the silence surrounded her, and not knowing if she was enjoying or hating the silence in the house.

Tonight was the first night of the week Henry would spend with Emma, as a part of their agreement of joint custody, if you could call it that.

It wasn't just how silent was the house without Henry, what really bothered her was how calm her life had been for the last month. It was a good life, but, at the same time, it was quite disturbing. After Emma broke the curse, they had been thrown against problems non-stop, and now they were all living peacefully. And three months after Emma's and Snow's return from the Enchanted Forest, and a month later since the portal was closed, she still was surprised how much her life had changed.

In the last three months she had gone from being chased by the residents of Storybrooke and being hated by her son to being a valuable member of the town council (not only due to her place as the mayor but also because her opinion was respected), and having a stable and repaired relationship with Henry thanks to honesty and long emotional talks. She had never thought she could have all this, but it was something she valued deeply in her heart. She still didn't have friends (maybe she could count Kathryn as one or as someone who could become friends with or Zelena), but now she was a respected member of the town, she was a human being who wanted to become a better person, despite her troubled past.

"Mom." Henry's voice surprised her. She had been so absorbed by her thoughts that she hadn't heard him come into the house.

Every time she heard that word a wave of love went through her body, but at nine o'clock it wasn't a good sign.

"Henry," Regina said surprised while she looked for Emma.

"Emma didn't come."

"Are you saying you have walked here alone?" Regina was getting angrier as the words left her mouth.

"Mom." Henry tried to explain.

"There isn't any good reason for you to walk alone at this time."

"Mom, don't get mad at Emma." Henry pleaded. "I sneaked away."

"Why?" Regina asked as she put the glass and the book on the table beside the couch, and took Henry's hand to make him sit beside her.

"She's not fine."

"Henry." She wasn't in the mood of one of Henry's operations.

"I'm serious, mom," Henry said. "She's not fine, and I know you have noticed too."

Henry was right. She had noticed because she had been there when it started. It had started when Snow White had voiced in the middle of one of the town public meetings the idea of going back to the Enchanted Forest, to rebuild their lives there. She had thought it was an idiotic idea, and she had said it without remorse, but a large group of people had agreed with the idiots and had requested a way to go back.

But she had tried to push away another thing she had noticed that day. Emma's response to her parent's words. During those days, they were barely talking to each other. And the few interactions they had, they were Henry related. But the image of Emma's expression had imprinted on her mind, making her impossible to forget the hurt her eyes showed, making her impossible not to get angry with those idiots who couldn't see what it would do to her daughter.

During the next month, while she helped on the search (after a weird conversation with Emma when they had both agreed on staying with Henry) with the surprising help of Blue and Gold, she had barely seen Emma. But the few glimpses she had caught of her the emptiness in her eyes had sunk on her soul, she wanted it or not.

And despite not voicing her concerns- Had Emma talked with her parents? Did Snow White and Charming know she wasn't going to go with them? Had they noticed how much they were hurting their ''beloved'' daughter? or they had just assumed that Emma and Henry would go with them- every time she saw Emma her eyes would lean on her, and it did things on her she wasn't prepared to acknowledge.

It had only taken a month to find the spell. And it was surprisingly rather simple.

The theory was that using a magic bean, freely provided by Gold (Belle's influence on him was astounding), and the combination of Emma's, Gold's and Regina's magic, they would open a portal for a month. And the townspeople could move their things to the Enchanted Forest, and people from the Enchanted Forest could come to their world, as the spell worked on both sides.

During the month many people left- the Charmings, Blue, a few dwarfs (Regina didn't care for their names), and many others- new people came like Mulan, Dorothy, Zelena or Robin Hood and his son. And people who she had assumed they would leave stayed like Hook, Leroy, most of the nuns (provided that many of them left the order), and Archie between others.

They were also changes in working positions, and in living arrangements. Kathryn and Frederic moved in together to a house near Regina's, and she started a new project putting her law degree to good use. It had started as a legal counsel to help their integration in the real world, but it had quickly escalated and was now at the doors of becoming a small real lawyer's firm.

The Sheriff station grew with new deputies. Despite being a small town, their population had increased a bit, and Emma couldn't do the job alone. And because of that Mulan, Hook (he prefers to go by Killian now), and Leroy (amazing how the healthy influence and love of a person can change another) were the new deputies of Storybrooke.

Ruby and Dorothy didn't waste any more time and moved in together to one of the lofts were Snow White had lived. And while Ruby kept her job with Granny, Dorothy started to work with the town's vet and the animal shelter.

And despite being physically thirty-four years old (she didn't want to think how old she really was), she had gotten a new sister or half-sister. Their relationship wasn't much sisterly yet, but if she thought how their relationship morphed from Zelena wanting to murder her to be on good terms while they built their trust on each other, she couldn't complain.

It had been all Emma's work, while she still disagreed with the method Emma used, she had to admit that after spending a week locked with Zelena in a room without magic and where only the truth could be said, it hadn't been such a bad idea after all. She had said it was her responsibility as the Sheriff, but Regina didn't believe her. Not a single Sheriff would have done what she did.

It had been during these last month, while everyone moved on with their lives when the bags under Emma's eyes became a permanent feature of her face, and her already thin body reduced its body mass. Regina didn't want to notice those things. She didn't want to care about her, after how they had hurt each other before the breaking of the curse. But she did, and her guilt grew when Emma decided to help her with Zelena instead to live her own life.

And now, a month after the portal closure, his marvelous and intelligent son had had enough.

"She still hasn't moved out from Snow White's loft, she sleeps on the couch, and she barely eats," Henry said making Regina take a deep breath. She already had suspected a few things Henry was saying, but by Henry's words, it was worse than she had thought.

"Henry." Regina wanted to explain to him how it was not so simple.

"We have to help her." How was she supposed to do her son's request when the relationship she had with Emma had passed from wanting to murder each other to mutual respect and dislike.

"Well..." Maybe something in between would be enough to Henry. "I could find someplace for her to life." Regina offered.

"It's not what she needs, mom." Henry murmured defeated and sad. "She needs a home."

"What are you trying to say?" Regina asked him already dreading the answer.

"Mom." He murmured bitting his lip.

"No." He could say he was a grown up boy now, but she would always know his intentions before he said them out loud. She was his mother after all.

"She's like a ghost." Henry looked at her with such sadness in his eyes, making her regret her attitude. "I think she hasn't left because of me, but it's hurting her more and more every day."

"It's because of that you have been spending so much time with her?" Regina asked Henry, remembering how since the custody agreement, during the weeks he was with her, he had sneaked a few afternoons to be with her biological mother.

"Yes." He admitted. "I try to cheer her up and to get her to eat, but it's not enough." With every word, Regina's guilt grew and grew. She should have done something. It shouldn't have been her almost-twelve-year-old son the one who had carried the responsibility.

"Henry." Her voice was enough to put a stop to his words. "If you keep going there would be a grounding waiting for you."

"Ok, mom," Henry said smiling despite the sadness for his other mother.

"Now you go to bed. I'll call Emma to let her know you are here," Regina said while he guided Henry towards the stairs. "And tomorrow I'll make the necessary arrangements for her. Is that ok?" She asked.

"Really?" He asked surprised and amazed. "You are awesome, mom." Henry smiled at her.

"And, I want you to concentrate on your school work, I'll be the one to worry about Emma. Did you hear me?"

"Yes."

"And no undercover operations."

"Ok," Henry said before hugging his mother by the waist. "I know I already told you, but I'm sorry for the way a treated you." He said referring to the pre-broken curse months.

"I told you is all forgiven. A fresh start."

"I know, but I'm still sorry."

"Henry."

"I know." He said looking at her with a smile on his face. "I love you, mom. You are the best." Henry's words made Regina's eyes water.

"I love you too." Regina kissed his forehead. "Now go to sleep, you have school tomorrow."

"Good night." He said as he started to climb the stairs to his room.

"Good night," Regina said as she walked into the living room to gather her phone.

While she looked at the screen of her phone, seeing Emma's contact splayed on the screen, she couldn't move her fingers. The simple part was telling her Henry was with her for the night, but she had no idea how she was supposed to bring up the idea of the three of them living under the same roof. And she didn't want to imagine how the coexistence was going to be. But she knew two things for sure, for their shake, and setting her pride aside for her son, tomorrow morning she was going to call Archie, and that she wasn't ready for question herself why she had agreed with Henry so quickly.


End file.
